Door latch



R. G. WILLIS" Feb.20,1923.

noon LATCH Filed July 16,

uwmron.

B. G. Wi lis,

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Feb. 20, 1923.

IRICHARD e. WILLIS, or MARION, ALABAMA.

- noon LA C Application filed July 16,

T all whom it mag concern Be it known that 1,. RICHARD GRANGER 'WILLIS, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Marion, in the county of Perry and State of Alabama, have inventedv cer-j tain new and useful Improvements in Door Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latches especially adapted for application to doors.

7 An important object of this invention is to provide a door latch, having a pivotal latch member which'may be conveniently operated from either side of the door and which is provided with a housing for preventing cattle, horses. and all stock from operating the latch through contact with the same.

I the latch plate and keeper from snow and ice which frequently renders a door latch inoperative. I I

A furtherv object is to provide a door latch which may be applied to a doorwithout the necessity of mutilating the door so that should it become necessary to remove the latch permanently, the door 'will not have" to be repaired. I I

A stillfurther object-is to pro-vide'a door latch. of a highly simplified construction, eflicient in use and extremely cheap to manufacture, I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is-an elevation of the improved latch applied.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectlonal view through the improved latch.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the im-v proved latch applied.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodi ment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a door frame in which a door 6 is supported by means of hinges I v The improved latch is preferably forme entirely of sheet metal and includes a flat 1921. Serial Iva/485.204. l

metallic base lOfor med fromllength of I sheet metal bent intermediate its .end's form atransversely curved shield orfhood 11,. The edge portions of the hood 11' aret bent so as to lie in contact witli],tlie. edge1 portions of. the base 10 thereby forming a pair of attaching flanges '12 which receive fastening devices 13 in the nature of screws.

The base 10 which is of elongated forma-j tion. is. provided along one end with a transverse incision which forms a. partly severed .1

portion 1 f which is bent back upon the base to form a guide .or extension 16 on the forward end ofa latch platedesignatedb-y the numeral l8. a I I As illustrated in igure the partlysevered portion 14 which cooperates with the adjacent portion ofthe base forming the guide is bent upon itself and in contact with the. hood 11 as indicated at 20. If desired, the terminal oft-he partly severed portion cured to the hood. I I

Thelatch. plate 18 which is preferably. formed from fiatnie'talhas its rearend portion formed with alongitudinal incision 22 which provides a shank 23 and a flange24 which extends outwardly'at right angles to the plate to constitute a manipulatingele- 14- may be riveted, solderedor otherwise se-f w ,ment. The shank 23 is supported by means of a bolt 26 extended through the base plate and a. door 6. The portion of the bolt26 which is extended through the door is screw threaded and is provided with a handle 2? held securely on the bolt bv means of: a

pair of lock nuts 28. The bolt 26 is non-ro-' A tatably connected to the latch plate by means .ofoutwardly directed lugs 29 which engage the head of the bolt. By reason of this construction, therotationof the handle 27 will result in rotation of the bolt 26 for elevating the latch plate. r The base plate 10 is provided with a second partly severed portion 30 which is bent backupon the plate to-form a guide stop element for limiting downward movement of the latch plate. Y The partly severed 'portion 14 which is bent back upon the base platedefines an opening within which is arrangedakeeper 33. The; keeper is preferably formed from. a single length of metal having its-ends secured to the door frameand its intermediateportion bent to form a retaining meansfor llo a tongue 34: extended from the forward end of the latch.

In applying the improved door latch, the. base plate is screwed onto the door so that one end of the base plate will extend over the door frame. The keeper 33 is now secured to the door frame within the openings defined by the partly severed portion 14: so that the keeper as well as the other parts of the device will be protected from snow, etc.

The improved latch. may be operated from one side of the door by means of the operatinghandle 27 and "from the otherside of the door by means of outwardly directed flange 24. The hood 11 is adapted to be. manually gripped simultaneously with the engagement or" the fingers with the flange 24 so that as the latch plate is elevated, the-door may be pulled open; It is thus apparent that the hood 11 in addition to protecting the latch plate constitutes a gripping device or han dleforthe door.

The'hood 11 which extends over the latch plate and keeper are to prevent'live stock from contacting with the latch plate and thereby operating the same. The device is preferably painted whiteso that the same ma be seen at night.v

paving thus described what is claimed is 1. A door latchformed from a blank of flat metal having an attaching shank and a flange which is bent outwardly to form amanipulating element, a keeper associated with the latch plate, ,and a base having an integral hood extending over said blank of metal whereby to protect the same from engagement by cattle, the ends of the hood being open for the reception of the fingers of the operator.

2. A door fiat metal having an attaching shank and a flange which is bent outwardly to form. a manipulating element, a keeper associated the invention,

with the latch plate, and abase having an latch formed from a blank 0t manipulating element, a keeper associated with the lztch plate, and a combined hood and grip extending over said blank of metal and having one end terminating adjacent said flange;

5. A door latch comprising a base having an -integral transversely curved hood, the edge portions of said hood being provided with openings for the reception of fastening devices, one .end of said base being formed with a partly severed portion bent upon the baseand in. contact with the hood thereby forming a guide, said base being provided with a second partly severed portion delining' a guide, a latch plate having an extensionlitted insaid first named guide, the in termediate portion of said latch plate'being adapted to be received within said second named guide, the rear end portion of said latch plate being formed with an attaching shank and a manipulating flange bent outwardly at right angles to the'latch plate, said manipulating flange being disposed adjacent one end of said hood, said first namedv partly severed portion defining an opening, a keeper received within said opening, and a combined supporting and operating bolt connected to said shank and having a handle.

RICHARD G. ,lVILLIS. 

